abake23’s bloghttps://abake23.wordpress.com
welcome to the third eye of the stormThu, 15 Apr 2010 18:23:14 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngabake23’s bloghttps://abake23.wordpress.com
So…https://abake23.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/its-only-right/
https://abake23.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/its-only-right/#respondThu, 15 Apr 2010 18:19:41 +0000http://abake23.wordpress.com/?p=310Its only right that I rededicate myself to this blog. It was about this time last year when I did my NBA playoff predictions, and i was thinking today “Why not restart the old page?” I have more time now as my personal life has calmed down just a bit. I haven’t been completely devoid of creative activity as I have constructed video (soon to be videos) and a facebook page dedicated to my favorite basketball player, the ubiquitous LeBron James.

]]>https://abake23.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/its-only-right/feed/0abake23im back like jordan wearing the 45https://abake23.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/im-back-like-jordan-wearing-the-45/
https://abake23.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/im-back-like-jordan-wearing-the-45/#respondThu, 15 Apr 2010 18:05:11 +0000http://abake23.wordpress.com/?p=304
]]>https://abake23.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/im-back-like-jordan-wearing-the-45/feed/0abake23michael-jordan-1995_45B…P…3…https://abake23.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/292/
https://abake23.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/292/#respondThu, 20 Aug 2009 16:24:39 +0000http://abake23.wordpress.com/?p=292Jay-z released his tracklisting for “The Blueprint 3,” scheduled to come out September 11. I would have liked to see less features, but there are a few intriguing guest appearances that shouldn’t disappoint such as Kid Cudi, Alicia Keys, Pharrell, Kanye of course.

4.”Run This Town” (featuring Kanye West and Rihanna) (Produced by Kanye West, No I.D.)

5.”Empire State of Mind” (featuring Alicia Keys) (Produced by Kanye West, No I.D.)

6.”Real as It Gets” (featuring Young Jeezy) (Produced by The Inkredibles)

7.”On to the Next One” (featuring Swizz Beatz) (Produced by Swizz Beatz)

8.”Off That” (featuring Drake) (Produced by Kanye West)

9.”A Star is Born” (featuring J. Cole) (Produced by Kanye West)

10.”Venus vs. Mars” (Produced by MGMT)

11.”Already Home” (featuring Kid Cudi) (Produced by Kanye West)

12.”Hate” (featuring Kanye West) (Produced by Kanye West)

13.”Reminder” (Produced by Timbaland)

14.”So Ambitious” (featuring Pharrell) (Produced by The Neptunes)

15.”Young Forever” (featuring Mr Hudson) (Produced by Kanye West)

PEACE!

]]>https://abake23.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/292/feed/0abake23jay-z-the-blueprint-3-album-cover-540x540Brooklyn’s Finest?https://abake23.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/brooklyn-bound/
https://abake23.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/brooklyn-bound/#respondThu, 13 Aug 2009 18:11:06 +0000http://abake23.wordpress.com/?p=267During a certain day in the first week of May, there was a euphoric buzz around a ceremony.

This ceremony marked the path from young child to face of the NBA.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I am talking about Lebron James 2009 MVP trophy presentation.

The event was held at James’ alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School in Akron, Ohio. Where else could it take place besides inside the old gym that was the launch pad for his super-stardom?

Nostalgia was at an all time high as Lebron drove his Ferrari down the streets of his beloved hometown, in route to receive one of the most prestigious awards an athlete can accept. Hundreds of people in the streets full of joy watching the pride of their city chanting “M-V-P!”. All this makes for such a great and heartwarming story, being that he has been loyal to Ohio his whole life. But that brings me to my question- What will Lebron do in the summer of 2010 when his contract is up and there are an abundance of premier players available in free agency? These players include Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, Joe Johnson, and Amare Stoudemire among many others.

Having an elite sidekick could mean NBA dominance for Lebron, Michael Jordan style. But who knows who it will be? Word has it that James has contacted Chris Bosh specifically, and the two have expressed very serious interest in playing together- which most likely had a lot to do with the time they spent together dominating the Olympics in route to a gold medal. Sure, Bosh is a unique and supreme talent, but who could argue with Wade or Stoudemire with Lebron? Lebron/Wade > Jordan/Pippen, and that’s no contest. This the reason you see so many teams are clearing cap space, its an attempt to sign two stars next summer and be set for the next 5-10 years.

But regardless of who Batman wants to be his Robin, where will he go in his pursuit of that elusive first title?

A Young Lebron James

For one, Lebron has already stated he wants to be the first billionaire athlete, and he is well on his way.

On the other hand, he has “Loyalty” and “Family” tattooed on his ribcage, which are his two strongest values.

We know that there are teams that may, and probably will offer him more than Cleveland, and being that he is an unrestricted free agent means that Cleveland may not necessarily be able to match whatever offers he receives. So if money is the true motivating factor, it would make total sense to move northeast to the mecca of basketball, New York. Such a big market would generate even more COLOSSAL marketing opportunities and could make number 23 into an unstoppable freight train of a conglomerate. Just as big of a move would be to play for the Nets, who are partially owned by multi-multi-multi millionaire friend Jay-Z. Speculations say that Jay is trying to move the team to Brooklyn, which for obvious reasons to hip-hop fans, would also make sense for LBJ. A NEW team in The Big Apple could be a extremely lucrative investment. Not to mention a Brooklyn Nets starting lineup of Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Brook Lopez would look downright scary.

But then again, there is always the loyalty factor behind staying with the Cavaliers no matter what. Although he has declined to sign a contract extension in attempt to “keep options open,” I doubt he is seriously looking anywhere in particular, if anywhere at all. Another viewpoint he may have is that some players reputations get somewhat tainted by jumping city to city for the sole purpose of wining a title (see Chris Webber, J Kidd, A.I..) I can definitely see that happening in a lot of peoples eyes if LBJ were to jump ship. However, this monstrous decision could be made a little early by a third party. If the addition of Jamario Moon, Anthony Parker, Leon Powe, and most importantly Shaquille O’Neal brings Cleveland a title this year- Lebron James would almost assuredly stay laced up in the wine and gold. But that is a big if. As much as James wants to achieve his financial goals, id say the chances of him winning a title with Cleveland and going on to sign with another team are infinitesimal. San Antonio has already proved that a small market team can play with the big boys and dominate them at that.

The Chosen One.

While masses of people believe, or at least try to hype the fact that Lebron is going to dash for the money in another market, I personally would not be quixotic enough to believe that he would do it.

We have roughly 86 to 100 games, and if we are lucky closer to the latter, to enjoy the offensive and defensive show that Lebron James puts on night-in and night-out. So when the season starts, lets not worry about where he is going next season, as he himself shouldn’t. The focus for Mr. James right now should and WILL be 100% on avenging this past years disappointing finish by hoisting that Larry O’Brien trophy come June. You cant just anoint the Lakers NBA champs again just from the addition of Artest. Lebron is always right there, and he has a much better supporting cast now. Not to mention Lebron himself is getting better. Yes, i said it, better.

Its all broken down into these three parts. Loyalty v. Money v. Winning…

So, is Lebron James headed to New York? Brooklyn? L.A. …Memphis?

Until I Witness it, Im not sipping on that Stephen A. Kool-Aid just yet.

]]>https://abake23.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/owens-and-barber/feed/0abake23Owens is a clown....Barber however is a beast.Album Review: Detroit Delihttps://abake23.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/album-review-detroit-deli/
https://abake23.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/album-review-detroit-deli/#respondMon, 10 Aug 2009 17:43:44 +0000http://abake23.wordpress.com/?p=244This one was an indisputable classic.

It was “Detroit Deli” by Slum Village.

Classic beats by J Dilla, B.R. Gunna, and Black Milk, plus slick rhymes by Elzhi and T3 made for a very clever yet deep album. Slum Village’s fourth album was released on June 9, 2004 shortly after the late Baatin decided to leave the group. From one to thirteen the tape is awesome, leaving no “filler” tracks or useless rambling interludes. Hit single “Selfish,” the song that the group is most noted for, was Kanye West’s blessing to the album. West produced it, and the track also featured a young & soulful John Legend. (Both of whom were gaining extreme popularity in mainstream music at the time.) That one song being the reason most people have even heard of Slum Village, however it is not nearly their only relatable ode to the ladies or the only heartfelt track. If anything, “Closer” featuring Dwele may be more of a love inducing joint than “Selfish.” “Old Girl” also hit a musical taste bud, calling out to all the struggling single mothers in the world and wishing them the best during their struggle. “Keep Holding On,” is a anthem to people that may be in a emotional, physical, or financial low. It is basically the “keep your head up hood anthem” of the CD. “Things We Do” is very slick and flows very nicely throughout. “Count The Ways” is a very, and i stresss very smooth song about the steps toward making love to a woman, on which Dwele delivers a beautiful vocal once again. After listening to the album, it just leaves you a fiend for more. All in all, this is a MUST HAVE for any true hip-hop fan.

Classic.

Just To Vent, The 2 out of 5 stars rating given by Rolling Stone is absolutely absurd and downright disrespectful. (Average user rating is 4 out of 5 stars)

John Legend also had a remix to “Selfish” that was awesome.

And last but not least,

R.I.P. to Baatin, and R.I.P. to my boy J Dilla.

Peace.

]]>https://abake23.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/album-review-detroit-deli/feed/0abake23slum-village-detroit-deli-cover1Very Sad.https://abake23.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/very-sad/
https://abake23.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/very-sad/#respondFri, 07 Aug 2009 22:23:34 +0000http://abake23.wordpress.com/?p=246This has got to be one of the saddest videos ive ever seen, I saw this a couple years back after it aired on ESPN. At that point I didnt really like Chris Paul mostly because he was one of those guys who just tortured the Spurs every time they played. But after seeing a story so sad and heart touching like this, I dont know how anyone could hate him. Happened to such a good family, and to just lose someone under those circumstances is just something most people can’t relate to. Having lost some family members and friends unexpectedly to violence and unforeseen occurrences made me really just feel this video on a whole different level.

61.

R.I.P. Nathaniel Jones.

God Bless You and your family, Chris.

]]>https://abake23.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/very-sad/feed/0abake23What Do You Think of the New Complex Mag Covers?https://abake23.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/what-do-you-think-of-the-new-complex-mag-covers/
https://abake23.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/what-do-you-think-of-the-new-complex-mag-covers/#respondFri, 07 Aug 2009 03:33:29 +0000http://abake23.wordpress.com/?p=238